For security teams working a busy event, staying connected isn't optional. Whether monitoring an entrance, responding to a disturbance, or keeping an eye on activity across a crowded venue, communication helps teams maintain situational awareness and get the right people where they're needed.
For Rogue Protection Group in Oregon, that means relying on two-way radios when working alongside local security companies at events like rodeos, monster truck shows, and events at expo centers and fairgrounds.
Recently, Rogue Protection Group put Midland® ClipTalk Micro Two-Way Radios to work in these environments. The team found that the small, low-profile walkie talkies offered the communication they needed without the size of traditional two-way radio.
Training Built Around Safety and Preparedness
Rogue Protection Group was founded in 2015 by a Navy veteran with a passion for training and continuing education. Dustin Hagglund took over as the company's owner in 2025, building on its mission to provide practical training centered around safety, awareness, and protection.
Today, Rogue Protection Group offers a wide range of training, including concealed carry, situational awareness, security certifications, de-escalation, and family safety. The company also works with law enforcement and the National Guard, provides multi-agency training, and consults with businesses and homeowners on security and emergency preparedness.
Through its security certification work, Rogue Protection Group has also developed close relationships with security companies, like Invictus Security throughout the area.
"We all just work together," Hagglund said. "Everyone working together gets everyone further."
While Rogue Protection Group isn't an event security company itself, Hagglund and other members of the team regularly work alongside security companies when additional support is needed. That can mean stepping into worker or supervisory roles at busy events where clear, immediate communication matters.
Communication Builds Situational Awareness
For Hagglund, one of the biggest advantages of using two-way radios for security comes down to situational awareness.
"Communication is what really enables us to maintain situational awareness," Hagglund said. "Being able to talk about what's happening on what side of the event, who the problem children are, something suspicious going on, any sort of disturbance at a gate, or just anything we need to watch."
At a large event, security personnel can be spread across entrances, ticket booths, concessions, seating areas, and other parts of the venue. When something happens, the entire team needs to know about it quickly.
That becomes even more important in loud environments like rodeos, where yelling across a venue isn't practical and a ringing or vibrating cell phone can easily go unnoticed.
"Without communication, you're running blind," Hagglund said. "Especially with these louder events like rodeos, you can't hear someone yelling. Everyone's already yelling."
A two-way radio like ClipTalk gives the team an immediate connection. Instead of pulling out a phone, finding a contact, making a call, or sending a group text, a team member can communicate with the group at the push of a button.
"Everyone hears it at once and everyone available is coming," Hagglund said. "They can hear it while moving."
That instant connection can help a team respond to a disturbance, share the description of someone who has been removed from an event, or call for additional personnel when a situation requires more support.
"The ability to paint that picture so everyone's on the same page immediately," Hagglund said, is invaluable.
Going Low Profile With ClipTalk
When Rogue Protection Group began using ClipTalk Micro Two-Way Radios, one of the first things that stood out was their compact size.
"It's super low profile. It clips right on," Hagglund said. "I don't need to have dudes keeping a radio in their pocket."
Rather than running a longer cable from a radio at the wait up to an earpiece, ClipTalk can be clipped closer to the user's collar or lapel. For teams moving throughout a venue, Hagglund found the setup simple and flexible.
The compact design also opened up another option for the security teams he works with: plainclothes personnel.
At some events, uniformed security staff may wear high-visibility clothing clearly identifying their role. Meanwhile, other personnel can move throughout the venue in plain clothes.
"We have two or three other guys in plain clothes walking around with ClipTalk under the collar of their shirts so it can't really be seen," Hagglund said.
That gives security teams the flexibility to choose how visible their communication equipment is based on the situation and role.
"It's not your conventional radio," Hagglund said. "It's nice, clean, and professional."
Putting Range and Clarity to the Test
Event venues can present plenty of challenges for radio communication, especially when teams are working in and around large concrete and brick buildings.
For Rogue Protection Group, ClipTalk delivered.
"One of the things we were really impressed by was how far they were able to communicate with these big concrete buildings and brick buildings," Hagglund said.
The performance stood out to Dustin, who brings extensive radio experience to the table after 18 years in the military through active-duty and National Guard service.
"These things being this small really just blows my mind," he said. "I'm impressed by the distance and the clarity."
The mini walkie talkies have also handled the length of the events where Rogue Protection Group has used them.
"We're doing a couple hours at an event, six hours, sometimes more and we haven't had an issue with them," Hagglund said.
Simple Setup and Flexible Options
Rogue Protection Group used Midland's two-way radio app to program its radios before putting them to work.
Because ClipTalk doesn't rely on a traditional radio display, Hagglund found the app useful for seeing and managing radio settings during setup.
"The app allows us to see exactly what we're doing," he said. "With the app, it allows us to see that, and I think it's a really awesome tool."
"Once programmed, the team can easily move through channels directly on the radio.
USB-C charging was another benefit for Dustin and his team, making it easy to use charging equipment they already have on hand.
The team also appreciated having different headset options. While Hagglund personally prefers an audio tube surveillance-style headset, some of the security personnel he works with preferred an over-the-ear option.
"A lot of our guys really liked having the speaker over their ear and not putting stuff in their ear," he said. "Leaving those options there definitely has value."
A Different Kind of Two-Way Radio for Security
After putting ClipTalk to work at events, Hagglund has already started recommending the radios to other security companies.
"I've actually recommended them to almost every company I've talked to, and everyone that's managed to get their hands on them has been really impressed," he said.
For Rogue Protection Group, the combination of a compact design, clear communication, range, easy charging, and a low-profile appearance has made ClipTalk a natural fit for event environments.
More importantly, it supports the situational awareness Dustin considered essential to effective security.
From coordinating personnel across a loud rodeo to keep plainclothes team members connected, ClipTalk gives security teams another way to communicate without being weighed down by a traditional radio setup.
For someone with nearly two decades of military radio experience, seeing that capability in such a small form factor has him looking forward to what comes next.
"Midland is ahead of its time with ClipTalk!"
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